Reinforced rubber bushing

Claim 1

A RUBBER BUSHING TO BE FORCE-FITTED INTO AN OPENING OF A RIGID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE COMPRISING: A RUBBER PART OF GENERALLY ELONGATED TUBULAR CONFIGURATION HAVING A CENTRAL BORE FOR RECEIVING A CYLINDRICAL MEMBER THEREIN AND AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER LARGER THAN THAT OF THE OPENING OF THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, SAID RUBBER PART BEING ADAPTED FOR BEING PLACED INTO AND RETAINED IN SAID OPENING BY FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT RESULTING FROM ELASTIC DEFORMATION AND COMPRESSION OF THE RUBBER MATERIAL OF SAID PART, A RIGID CYLINDRICAL REINFORCING MEMBER INBEDDED WITHIN SAID RUBBER PART SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF ELONGATION OF SAID RUBBER PART AND EFFECTIVELY SEPARATING RADIAL PORTIONS OF SAID PART TO INHIBIT RADIAL DEFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO COMPRESSION OF THE RUBBER MATERIAL; ONE OF THE PORTIONS OF SAID RUBBER PART BEING ARRANGED FOR DISPOSITION BETWEEN THE TUBULAR MEMBER AND THE REINFORCING MEMBER AND THE OTHER PORTION BETWEEN THE REINFORCING MEMBER AND THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE; ONE OF SAID PORTIONS HAVING A NETWORK OF LOAD-BEARING RIBS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF CAVITIES FOR PERMANENTLY RETAINING A LUBRICANT THERIN AND ADAPTED FOR SLIDING CONTACT WITHONE OF THE CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS; AN ANNULAR SEAL INTEGRAL WITH SAID PART PROVIDED AT ONE END OF SAID BORE; AND VISCOUS LUBRICANT LOCATED WITHIN SAID CAVITIES BETWEEN SAID RIBS.